Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-LS12000: which five-star 4K projector should you buy?

Epson's laser projector lineup has delivered some of the finest home cinema experiences available without spending five figures. Case in point – both the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning EH-LS9000 and EH-LS12000 earned five-star reviews apiece.

But which one deserves your hard-earned cash? We answer that below, by comparing our in-depth experiences with both projectors, comparing their value for money, price, picture quality, and more.

And if you want to broaden your search, feel free to peruse our list of the best projectors.

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-LS12000: price

There's an immediate and significant gap between these two models when it comes to cost. The EH-LS9000 launched at £2999 / $3999 / AU$7299, positioning it as what Epson calls an "affordable high-end" option – though that's still a substantial investment for most buyers.

The EH-LS12000 commanded £4500 / $4999 / AU$8999 at launch, demanding a more serious investment.

At the time of writing, both models can be snapped up for less thanks to some welcome price drops, with the EH-LS9000 down to £2899, and the EH-LS12000 reaching £3969.

The critical consideration, of course, is whether the LS12000's additional capabilities warrant the extra cost, or whether the LS9000 gets close enough to make the saving worthwhile.

** Winner: Epson EH-LS9000 **

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-LS12000: build and design

If you placed these two projectors side by side in a darkened room, you'd struggle to tell them apart. They share identical dimensions, and both tip the scales at almost exactly the same weight.

Both are also available in either black or white finishes (the full model numbers being EH-LS9000B/W and EH-LS12000B/W, respectively), and both feature that same beefy, substantial build quality that marks them out as projectors designed for permanent installation rather than occasional use.

The only visual tells are minor: the ring surrounding the lens is plain black on the LS9000, while it's silver on the LS12000. The LS12000's finish is described as having a subtle faux-leather texture, though you'd need to get quite close to notice it.

Both models feature motorised lens covers that whir open and closed when you power the projector on or off – a touch that adds a sense of occasion to your viewing sessions while keeping dust and damage at bay. The LS9000's cover can be slightly noisy and feels somewhat flimsy, but this is a cosmetic, rather than functional concern.

Both projectors run remarkably quietly during normal operation, too. The LS9000 stays practically silent until you push brightness past 95 per cent, and even then, the fan noise remains unobtrusive against most film soundtracks. The LS12000's fan noise is similarly well-controlled, though Epson's preset choices seem oddly preoccupied with keeping it to an absolute minimum – more on that in the features section.

The remotes are functional rather than inspiring on both models, and both use the same connection panel layout with controls accessible on the body. These are serious, purpose-built home cinema projectors that make no pretence at portability or casual use.

** Winner: Draw **

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-LS12000: features

Both projectors use Epson's pixel-shifting technology rather than native 4K panels, overlaying two 1080p images to create a higher-resolution picture roughly equivalent to 4K. While this might look disappointing on paper, the reality is that both deliver impressively sharp and detailed images that punch well above what you'd expect from straight Full HD.

The real differences though, emerge when you examine the specs more closely.

Brightness represents the most obvious split. The LS9000 claims 2200 lumens peak output, which is respectable for a home cinema projector, and more than adequate for a properly darkened room. The LS12000 pushes significantly higher to 2700 lumens – not quite the 3300 lumens of the range-topping QB1000, but still considerably brighter than the LS9000.

That extra brightness isn't just about punching through ambient light either – it translates directly into more convincing HDR performance, allowing the LS12000 to deliver those peak highlights with greater impact and make fuller use of the HDR10+ support that both projectors share alongside standard HDR10 and HLG.

Claimed contrast ratios are identical at 2,500,000:1 for both models, though such figures matter far less than real-world performance in practice.

The LS12000 also includes Scene Adaptive Gamma – Epson's own frame-by-frame contrast enhancement that analyses incoming HDR signals and optimises the projector's output accordingly. This feature doesn't make it down to the LS9000, which relies on the projector's baseline capabilities without this additional processing layer.

Both models feature 4K Frame Interpolation for smoothing motion and Super Resolution for sharpening, and both benefit from laser light sources rated for 20,000 hours of use – enough for 27 years of daily two-hour viewing sessions before you need to worry about replacements.

Gaming specs differ, too. The LS9000 arrives with two HDMI 2.1 ports capable of handling 4K/120Hz signals, making it extremely appealing to serious gamers using PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or high-end PCs. Input lag measures 19ms at 60Hz, which is competitive for gaming use.

The LS12000 supports 4K/120Hz HDR gaming as well, but its input lag sits at 38ms with 1080p/60Hz feeds when using its Fast processing mode. That's noticeably higher than the LS9000, and may prove a concern for competitive gaming.

It's still perfectly playable for most titles though, and any serious gamer playing an ultra-competitive title will be headshotting enemies on a much smaller display regardless. There’s a reason most Esports pros play on 27-inch monitors, after all. Once screens get much larger, you’re at a disadvantage having to turn your head to take in your in-game surroundings, lowering your reaction times. The LS12000 also lacks a dedicated gaming picture preset, whereas the LS9000's setup makes gaming feel like more of a priority.

Motorised lens adjustment is comprehensive on both models, with extensive optical image shifting vertically and horizontally, plus a healthy x2.1 optical zoom. The LS12000 supports ISF calibration and Calman software compatibility if you're willing to pay for professional setup, though most users will find the factory presets more than capable once properly configured.

One area where both projectors fall short of expectations, is their menu systems. Epson uses highly unusual terminology and hides settings in obscure locations, making fine-tuning more confusing than it should be. This is particularly frustrating given how much performance you can extract with careful adjustment.

The LS12000 brings more brightness headroom and Scene Adaptive Gamma processing to the table, which should translate into superior HDR performance. The LS9000 counters with better gaming specifications and lower input lag, making it the more versatile choice for mixed-use scenarios.

** Winner: Draw **

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-LS12000: picture

Both projectors deliver picture quality that justifies their five-star ratings, but they achieve their success in different ways.

Starting with the newer LS9000, the Vivid preset – which you'd normally avoid like the plague – turns out to be the optimal choice. It extracts exceptional vibrancy and three-dimensional depth from the image without appearing forced or straying too far from cinematic intent. We found turning off 4K Frame Interpolation delivered the most natural motion, though some viewers might prefer it set to one of the lower levels.

Playing Thunderbolts on 4K Blu-ray, the LS9000 delivers images with impressive solidity and depth. The sharpness and detail are exceptional, particularly impressive at the 100-inch scale of our test room's screen. The desert landscape scenes showcase beautifully shaded skies that blend from light to deep blue with smooth gradations, while rocky cliffs stand out with crisp definition and plenty of texture.

Colours are both vivid and natural, striking that difficult balance between punch and authenticity. Switching to Blade Runner 2049 reveals assured handling of tricky panning shots even with Frame Interpolation disabled, and the subdued colour palette is preserved rather than artificially boosted.

The LS9000's one notable weakness emerges in dark scenes. Civil War's night-time assault on Washington DC exposes a relative lack of black depth – what should be brilliant black or very dark grey instead appears as a lighter grey that lacks the same impact and solidity the projector brings to brighter material. Shadow detail remains good, so you're not missing picture information, but the blacks don't achieve the depth that would make dark scenes truly convincing.

Moving to the LS12000, that extra brightness makes an immediate impression. HDR images receive considerably more lift than most projectors at this price point manage, with peak highlights punching through in a way that sells the benefits of high dynamic range more successfully than the vast majority of rivals we've tested.

This brightness advantage feeds into an exhilarating colour performance that maintains fantastic vibrancy and richness even in the very brightest image areas. The laser lighting system proves refined enough to stretch colour range beyond typical projectors, and it manages to retain convincing saturations even when pushing Scene Adaptive Gamma to its highest level.

Black levels on the LS12000, while not quite matching the best JVC D-ILA models, are noticeably deeper and more impactful than those from the LS9000. This is particularly impressive when you consider the additional brightness the LS12000 simultaneously delivers. There's excellent detail preserved in both dark shadows and bright highlights.

The LS12000's picture presets present their own challenges. The Cinema mode, which you'd reasonably expect to be optimal for films, suffers from noticeable black crush where subtle details disappear into darkness. It also runs dimmer than ideal for HDR content.

Switching to Bright Cinema largely resolves these issues. Its higher brightness works far better with HDR material, and colour performance becomes noticeably more convincing and nuanced at this output level. However, with particularly dark HDR titles like Blade Runner 2049, colour issues can occasionally creep in, even using Bright Cinema mode – strange clouding and banding effects that require switching between presets on a per-film basis.

The Bright Cinema preset can also inject slight blueness into dark scenes that isn't present in Cinema mode, though attempting to completely eliminate this affects the wider image's colour balance too much for comfort.

In terms of sharpness, detail and fundamental image quality, these projectors are clearly from the same family. Both deliver impressively textured, well-resolved pictures that make the most of their pixel-shifting approach to 4K.

The LS12000's additional brightness and superior black depth create a punchier, more dynamic overall presentation that squeezes more from HDR content. However, it requires more careful setup and occasional preset switching to achieve optimal results, and its colour performance can be less refined in very dark HDR scenes.

The LS9000 offers most of that core picture quality at a significantly lower price, with easier setup and more consistent colour handling, though it can't match the LS12000's HDR impact or black level performance.

** Winner: Epson EH-LS12000 **

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-LS12000: verdict

Both of these Epson laser projectors deliver excellent performance at their respective price points, which makes choosing between them largely dependent on your priorities and budget.

The EH-LS12000 makes a compelling case if HDR performance is your primary concern. Its extra brightness genuinely transforms high dynamic range content, delivering peak highlights with an impact that most projectors at this level simply can't match. Those deeper blacks add to the sense of dynamism, and when you get the settings dialled in properly, it produces some of the most straight-up enjoyable HDR pictures available without spending five figures.

However, it's worth noting that if you're prepared to spend £4500 or more on a projector, the Award-winning Sony VPL-XW5000ES offers native 4K resolution and exceptional X1 Ultimate processing for broadly similar money. The Sony represents stiff competition at the LS12000's price point.

The EH-LS9000 doesn't quite reach the same heights of HDR brilliance or black depth, but it gets remarkably close while costing significantly less. That saving is substantial – enough to build a proper sound system to accompany your projector, or to fund a significant 4K Blu-ray collection.

More importantly, the LS9000 brings superior gaming capabilities with its lower input lag and 4K/120Hz HDMI 2.1 support. If you're planning to use your projector for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X gaming as well as films, the LS9000 is the more versatile choice.

It's also the easier projector to optimise, with fewer preset quirks and more consistent colour handling across different types of content. While the LS12000 can look spectacular when properly configured, it demands more patience and occasional per-film adjustments to achieve its best.

The LS9000's recent What Hi-Fi? Award win confirms its status as the best projector at its price level, delivering brilliant sharpness, punchy three-dimensional depth and vivid yet natural colours that make it exceptional value for a dedicated home cinema setup.

If you have deep pockets and HDR performance is your absolute priority, the LS12000's extra brightness and black depth make it worth considering. But when you factor in value, gaming versatility and ease of setup, the LS9000 emerges as the smarter purchase for most buyers.

** Overall winner: Epson EH-LS9000 **

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Read our full Epson EH-LS9000 review

Read our full Epson EH-LS12000 review

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